The Best Brunches in Houston 2017

While some people are unabashedly yelling about how Millennials have officially ruined brunch, we say it’s doing just fine over in Houston. Want some proof? Keep reading, friend. Each brunch we've selected is plenty boozy, but the real kicker is every one has an unquestionably good menu and atmosphere. Brunch is far from ruined.

HUGO’S & CARACOL & XOCHI

On Sundays, Hugo Ortega’s trifecta of heavy-hitters offers up insanely good interior Mexican (Hugo’s), coastal Mexican (Caracol) and Oaxacan (Xochi) brunch buffets that are worth every single one of the 3,000+ pennies you spent on it. Sure, you could go Saturday and order a la carte, but then you couldn’t refill your plate with all the ceviches, chilaquiles, rellenos, tamales, crudos, camarones, carnitas, tres leches, and churros that you possibly can before your pants spontaneously combust.

It's hard to say no to the question "Want some fried chicken and Champagne?" Thankfully, MWD has two locations at which you can say yes. If you’re all about chicken, get it in a honey-butter Benedict, atop jalapeño buttermilk waffles, or in a salad with applewood-smoked bacon and Champagne dressing. Max’s also makes what may be the best fried egg sandwich in town: a colossal creation of three fried eggs, bacon, a blend of Parmesan, Gruyère, provolone, and white Cheddar cheeses, lettuce, tomato, and black truffle aioli on buttery griddled sourdough bread. Get it with a side of chicken thigh.

An advance reservation is an advisable (if not required) move for this bistro and garden. The offerings include morning items like killer migas and brioche French toast, plus more lunch appropriate things like wood-grilled local shrimp & grits and short rib risotto. Go for a dish off the seasonal menu, a pan of fresh-baked buttermilk biscuits to share, and a couple of expertly crafted cocktails to “cure” your hangover.

Excellent locally roasted coffee & espresso + full bar + in-house bake lab = the best brunch of your life. Bring your late-morning A game to this cool-kids spot, lest you want to be in the back of someone's Snapchat looking like Gollum while you smash things like house-smoked salmon & truffled eggs, fried chicken & cake donuts, and cracked egg pizza.

If you don’t order seafood at brunch, you’re doing it wrong. If you do, you now have one more reason to wipe last night’s pizza off your chin and get your life together by 2pm. East Coast and local Gulf oysters on the half shell; sorghum-glazed shrimp & pickled serrano-boursin grits; and non-seafood items like roasted pork debris eggs Benedict are all part of the mid-morning to late-afternoon fun. (So are smoked Bloody Marys, by the way.)

There are times when brunch calls for cheap Champagne and literally anything that includes bacon, and then there are times when brunch calls for a ballin’ three-course feast that makes you feel like you own an oil company. That’s where this jazzy (no, for real, there’s a jazz band) NOLA classic comes in. But you don’t have to own an actual oil company to afford it. Seasonal riffs on creole dishes commingle with Southern staples like eggs Brennan, shrimp & grits, and whiskey-lacquered quail, all of which you’ll want to pair with Marys, punches, and fizzes. If you have a few extra monies to get rid of, add on the crazy seafood tower; then invite us next time.

When you need something completely gluttonous to rock you out of last night’s poor life choices, this super-cool icehouse is where you go. The Squealin’ Mary -- made with bacon-infused vodka, a bacon sugar-salt rim, and candied bacon accoutrement -- is a damn good place to start. So do that, then get into the seriously excellent mix of brunchy and non-brunchy eats, like the house chorizo & cheddar-stuffed poppers, BBQ brisket breakfast burritos, seafood mac, duck pastrami Reubens, and a bunch of other equally enticing stuff.

This cozy neighborhood spot is the kind of place where you can bring your girlfriend or your grandma... that is, if your grandma likes crushing Bloody Marys with beer and burgers with duck eggs & kimchi. OK, maybe just bring your girlfriend here.

When you can order a brunch based entirely off starters, you can consider the place a win. Ford Fry’s globally and coastally inspired modern lodge is just that. Assuming you have friends, bring some so you can split warm sticky buns, country ham deviled eggs, and grilled Gulf oysters. The main event runs the gamut, from huevos divorciados to a gorgeous Dutch baby pancake baked in the hearth. Some “rodeo” milk punch and an expertly prepared house Bloody Mary ensure you finish the meal out like the rock star you are.

The best part about this trendy River Oaks date spot -- besides the excellent French press coffee, badass Champagne selection, and stellar fare -- is that you can feel like you’re brunching in Paris without having to deal with actual French people. The worst part is deciding between the crêpes and the filet mignon au poivre. Either is great with Champagne, so... get both?

It’s all about Southern comfort at this soul food kitchen... with a global smooch, of course. After shuttering its East End location, Kitchen 713 moved into a bigger and better space, and got a liquor license. Hit Saturday and Sunday brunch for house-cured salmon hoe cakes kissed with za'atar, Thai jewel omelets, and fried chicken & biscuits with a side of eye-opening beverages, like the charred grapefruit paloma or a fig and bacon-infused bourbon number.

If you want a cozy brunch where you can enjoy a conversation and coffee, put this Adair family neophyte on your radar. It sits right between two shopping meccas, Highland Village and River Oaks District, making it perfect for a mid-afternoon break. Get smothered biscuits & gravy, smoked salmon and avocado toast, or “brunch up” a burger with bacon, eggs, and Hollandaise. Then tack on mimosas by the pitcher or hit the fully-loaded bloody mary cart.

F.E.E.D. TX and Liberty Kitchen alum Travis Lenig debuted his own concept to great fanfare. Start with a Corpse Reviver or mimosa tasting flight while you dig into seasonal, locally sourced meals that are as fresh as they are downright satisfying. We’re talking sloppy sandwiches, burgers with belly bacon, buttermilk biscuit stacks, and pimento cheese fritters. Oh yeah, we said fresh... there’s stuff like local greens and roasted beets, too.

With one location in Montrose and a few more planned, this Denver-born chain is taking Houston by storm. Despite being open since the summer of 2016, the Montrose location has an out-the-door line week-after-week -- but at least there’s free Boomtown coffee while you wait. Locals flock for cheap pancake flights and hollandaise-coated everything, from eggs Benny to corned beef hash. Drinks are equally as enticing, with morning concoctions like the Bangkok bloody mary (with Sriracha and fish sauce) and the Snoozed Fashioned (a coffee and whiskey mix). The best part? You can unofficially “brunch” seven days a week.